FADE IN: INT. WINDOW - MORNING We are looking out a first story window of a house. The backyard is large and green. A single tree in the garden throws shade onto a picnic table and a swing, worn from use. The backyard is line with an engulfing WOODED LAKE, it couldn't be more picturesque. Everything is quiet and perfect, like an oil painting with a breeze. Then we hear a CHILD SCREAM. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM. INT. ATTIC CLARE EMMERICH pulls out a small RADIO from a box and sets it down on the floor. She looks around. Did she hear something? She listens. SHE HEARS THE BIRDS CHIRPING OUTSIDE, THE PLUMBING, THE HEATER. Clare drops the objects in her hands. She moves to the window, takes a look out. Then she heads towards the attic hatch. INT. HALL LANDING Clare comes down the ladder. When she reaches the floor, she pushes the ladder back up. It collapses on itself. With a pole, she hooks the hatch door and closes it up. She stands in the hall landing where three bedroom doors meet. She moves to the door with the plaque "MICHAEL" hanging and softly pushes it open. She stands, still. A beat. INT. BATHROOM The sink is RUNNING. We hear the sound of TEETH BEING BRUSHED. Clare moves closer to the door, GENTLY TAPPING. She pushes it. Hanging over the sink is THOMAS EMMERICH, with only his boxers on. Toothbrush and foam in his mouth. Clare smiles slightly, edging back. A CHILD SCREAMS FROM A DISTANCE. Clare snaps her head to the sound. The water from the sink stops. Clare and Thomas exchange glances. Both very still. INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM The door bursts open. Clare rushes into her child's room and heads across the messy room and to the bed, which has a very significant lump, as if a child were asleep. She pulls back the covers. NOTHING BUT PILLOWS AND A BASEBALL BAT. Clare's eyes move to Thomas, wide-eyed in the doorway. CLARE Where is he? Thomas looks around -- panic in his eyes. BOY (O.S) Moooom! Clare looks in the direction of THE BOY'S VOICE. Not too far away, but not close. Without hesitation she rushes through the door, with Thomas quick to follow. EXT. BACKYARD Clare bursts out the back door and runs into the backyard. She spins around, searching. Thomas comes rushing through the door, struggling to get into his pants. He comes up next to Clare. CLARE He doesn't know this place. He'll get lost. THOMAS You go one way. I'll go the other. A beat. Clare nods. She takes off past the swing and into a wooded area. EXT. WOODS Her eyes scan through the thick trees. It's almost impossible to see anything. BOY (O.S) Uncle Tom! Clare turns in the direction of the YELLING, coming from further within the woods. She breaks off into it. The branches smack her in the face as she runs through. Faster and faster until -- she FALLS HARD TO THE GROUND. CLARE Damn it. She struggles move in the dirt. As she pulls her head up she sees a SMALL FIGURE. He is MICHAEL EMMERICH. Nine years old and wearing his pajamas. Deathly pale. Clare gets to her feet and reaches out to Michael. He stands unaware of their presence, in a trance. CLARE (CONT'D) Michael, what's happening? Nothing. Clare touches him on the shoulder. Suddenly he SPRINGS TO LIFE. Finally he notices her. MICHAEL Mom! He EMBRACES HER. Thomas comes charging through the thick of the woods. He comes to a stop when he sees them. Clare looks to Thomas. He looks right back at her. INT. HALL LANDING Clare comes out of Michael's bedroom. She closes the door behind her. Thomas waits at the top of the stairs. CLARE He doesn't know how he got there. THOMAS He slept-walked? CLARE I think so. He's so cold, he must have been out there all night. THOMAS I could call a doctor. CLARE No. No, he doesn't like doctors. He just needs to rest. THOMAS Okay. You want some coffee? CLARE Coffee would be good. Thomas nods. He turns and heads down the stairs. Clare takes a look at her son's bedroom door, then follows. INT. KITCHEN Clare sits at the dining table with a mug of coffee. Thomas stands by the kitchen counter. There are a few cardboard boxes lying around. They haven't lived here long. THOMAS I was thinking of going into town today. Anything you want? CLARE No. I'm good. Any special reason you're going? THOMAS Thought I'd check out the local mechanic, see if they're hiring. Can't be letting these skills go to waste now. CLARE No you cannot. THOMAS You want me to take Max with me? The dog could do with a good walk. CLARE You're walking to town? That's gotta be two miles. THOMAS Two miles is nothing. CLARE Maybe not to you but it might have some effect on Max. The poor thing won't know what's hit it. Thomas smile, moving from the other end of the kitchen. He takes a seat opposite Clare. THOMAS What was Michael screaming about? CLARE I don't know. THOMAS You didn't ask him? CLARE No. I will. But at the moment he's very shaken. He woke up in the middle of the woods, that can't be the best experience. THOMAS No. I guess not. CLARE He's been sleepwalking ever since... She drifts off. Thomas nods in understanding. THOMAS He'll grow out of it. All kids do. CLARE Like you, you mean? THOMAS What? CLARE Come on, Thomas, you don't remember? It would happen almost every week. We would wake up and find you asleep at the foot of the stairs, or in the bathroom. Or that one time when you even slept in the dog kennel. THOMAS Right. With the dog... God, what was her name? CLARE Mabel. THOMAS Mabel, the German shepherd. She was the worst guard dog ever. I could have been a burglar for all she knew. CLARE (laughs) A burglar who was snoring as he walked. THOMAS Maybe that's where Michael gets it from. Maybe it's not connected to... you know. It's probably just a phase. CLARE Maybe. But for the time being we'll have to bolt the doors at night. I can't risk him going out there or again or, God forbid, falling into that lake. THOMAS Doors locked. Got it. (beat) How you holding up? CLARE What do you mean? THOMAS Today is -- CLARE I know what today is. I'm fine. THOMAS All right. Thomas finishes his mug of coffee and stands. He heads to the coat rack and pulls on his jacket. THOMAS (CONT'D) I'd better go. I'll grab Max on my way out. CLARE You have fun. And good luck. THOMAS Who do you think you're talking to? I don't need luck. I'm the best mechanic this side of the Atlantic. With a smile, he EXITS. Clare looks on after him, watching him walk up the pathway through the window. She turns back to her coffee and for a while, just GLARES at it. INT. DINING ROOM - DAY The room is filled with two large bookcases, with every single gap filled with books, some covered in dust. Along the wall is a glass cabinet. INSIDE WE CAN SEE A SHOTGUN. Clare is STACKING BOOKS in the bookcase. She steps on a stool and places a few on the top shelf. She steps down and picks a book out of the box on the floor. She is about to put it on the shelf but stops. Clare looks the cover over. It reads: "DEALING WITH DEATH, AN INSIDE VIEW." A beat. A KNOCK AT THE DOOR. Clare drops the book in shock. Instantly turning to the direction of the front door, which we can see through the doorway. INT. FRONT HALL Clare comes through from the dining room and opens the front door. There stands ROSALINE LEMORTE, an older woman. In her hands are a bag of apples and her handbag. CLARE Hello. ROSALINE (bright smile) Hello. I am your new neighbor. Of course, I live a mile away. Clare smiles. She motions for Rosaline to come through. The older woman does. INT. KITCHEN Clare is tipping the apples into a fruit bowl. Rosaline sits at the table. She spots a picture on the refrigerator. THE WHOLE OF IT IS COLORED BLACK, EXCEPT FOR ONE WHITE SQUARE IN THE MIDDLE. ROSALINE (CONT'D) Did your son draw that? CLARE Oh, yes. He wouldn't stop insisting I saw it. Rosaline nods. CLARE (CONT'D) So how long have you lived in this town, Miss...? ROSALINE Mrs LeMorte, but you can call me Rosaline. Or Rosa. But not Rose. I hate being called Rose. CLARE It's a lovely name. I'm -- ROSALINE Clare Emmerich. I know who you are. The whole town knows. CLARE Really? I didn't know we'd be so well known. We haven't even been into the town yet. ROSALINE There is a lot of talk here. Not much action, but a lot of talk. You should know that if you plan on staying. CLARE Well no action is good for me. I've had about enough of it to last me a lifetime. (beat) Thank you for the apples, Rosa. You're the first person I've met from around here. ROSALINE These people in this town, they're not welcoming. They don't like newcomers. CLARE Is that so? ROSALINE They won't accept you, Clare. You don't fit with them. Clare stands still. She contemplates this. CLARE I'm not quite sure what -- ROSALINE Five years ago I lost my husband. He was a good man, a patriot, a soldier in the second world war. Joseph would have done anything for anyone. And yet this town loathed him because he wasn't born here, because they didn't think he had a right to live in their exodus. As for me, well, they would rather ignore the fact that I'm still on the hilltops. (beat) Which is why I was happy to hear of your arrival. I haven't had a civilized conversation in months. CLARE I'm sorry to hear that. I... I lost my husband a while ago too. ROSALINE Would it be rude if I were to ask how? CLARE (hesitates) He... it just happened. One of those things you always hear about and think that could never happen to you but... it did. It happened to us. (soft) It was three years to the day. Still feels like yesterday. Rosaline places a hand on Clare's. ROSALINE The hardest thing to do in this world is to say goodbye but yet all we do when a loved one dies is say goodbye a thousand times over. Clare nods. A tear rolls down her cheek. She quickly wipes it away, forcing a laugh. CLARE Look at me. I've only known you for a few minutes and I'm already crying on your shoulder. ROSALINE It's nothing to be ashamed of. How did the boy take it? CLARE He was crushed. He wouldn't talk for days after the funeral, some part of me blamed myself, I thought that maybe I wasn't doing enough to help him through it but I was barely coping myself. Thank the Lord for Thomas. He's my brother. He came all the way from Canada to help me and Michael. (beat) And then we moved here. A nice quiet place where we could start again. (beat) I can't believe I'm telling you all this. We've only just met. ROSALINE (soft) You are a very strong woman. Don't you think otherwise. CLARE (smiles) Thank you. Rosaline GAZES at her for a beat. EXT. MAIN STREET Downtown. A group of small stores along a quiet street. Along this path walks Thomas. He's CLUTCHING THE DOG'S LEAD. As he nears a store, he notices a couple of MEN GLARING at him. A WOMAN heads out of the store. Thomas catches her. Her name is DHARMA. THOMAS Excuse me, miss. DHARMA Hello there. THOMAS Would you know the whereabouts of the local mechanic? DHARMA Sure, it's just around the corner, past the grocers. (realizing) Wait. Are you from the house in the woods? THOMAS Um, yeah. We just moved in a few days ago. DHARMA You don't know, do you? THOMAS Know what? DHARMA Boy, are you in for some shocks when the dust settles. You have my condolences. THOMAS Ma'am, what exactly are you talking about? DHARMA Sorry. I'm late for something. Good luck with the settling, Thomas. THOMAS Wait, how do you know my... name? Too late, she's LONG GONE. Thomas looks on after her. He turns to see the MEN have gone. He looks down at Max and TUGS at his lead. He continues on his way. He rounds the corner and almost CRASHES into a raging GIRL. THOMAS (CONT'D) Whoa. Hold up, speedy. GIRL Sorry, mister. Got dust to shake. THOMAS Where are you running to? GIRL That's the wrong question. You should have asked, what am I running from? But that would be asking way too much for a man who isn't ready. THOMAS I'm not... GIRL They all talk in riddles, cryptic messages. They think we don't know but we do. (then) I gotta go. A beat. Suddenly the girl takes off down the sidewalk. Thomas watches her go before he looks down at Max. THOMAS There's some strange people in this town, Max. He continues up the sidewalk. INT. KITCHEN Clare is BOILING a kettle on the stove. CLARE Why is it the people of this town ignore you? Surely it can't just be because you weren't born here? ROSALINE There are some questions in life we will never know the answers to, Clare. While others will fall from the heavens when the time is right. Trust that you will soon know everything you need. CLARE You remind me of my Aunt Petulia. She was a very curious woman. ROSALINE Do you know what they call me? They say I'm crazy, that my talk is nothing but madness. Do you know why they say that? (beat) Because they're afraid of their town losing its peaceful quality. These people have secrets, Clare, and it's only a matter of time before they are exposed. Clare stares at the old lady, uncertainty on her face. She is about to speak when Michael appears at the door. CLARE Michael? Are you all right? MICHAEL (groggy) Warmer. ROSALINE So this must be the boy. MICHAEL What's your name? ROSALINE My name is Rosaline. The phone RINGS. Clare waits a beat, looking at the two, before going into the next room and answering the call. Rosaline leans in closer to Michael. ROSALINE (CONT'D) It's been calling you. MICHAEL What --? ROSALINE Into the woods. When we sleep our subconscious mind takes over and we are but hosts for another being completely. Yours has been accepting an invitation. MICHAEL I woke up in the woods today. Mom said I was sleepwalking. I always sleepwalk. ROSALINE You heard it didn't you? You heard the voices? MICHAEL (soft) Yes. ROSALINE Don't go into the woods, boy, it's not safe. There are things there you could not understand. Do you understand me? Michael nods. Clare returns to the kitchen. ROSALINE (CONT'D) I must be going. You two take care now. I hope to be seeing ya'll around here for a very long time. CLARE Well, you can be rest assured no angry mob will drive us out. ROSALINE (to Michael) Don't you go walking, Michael. The nights are getting cold and you will catch a chill. Michael says nothing. He just stares at her. CLARE (off Michael's look) It was nice to meet you, Rosa. ROSALINE You too, dear. Rosaline takes one more look at Michael before she EXITS the house WITHOUT HER HANDBAG. Clare turns to her son. CLARE What did she say to you? Michael says nothing. EXT. HOUSE The large Emmerich family home sits in the sunlight. Surrounded by the woods. Rosaline comes through the front door and makes her way up the driveway. Halfway up she stops. Her head turns as she takes in the wooded area around her. A beat. Then she continues walking again, this time in a hurried pace. We see Clare watching her from the window. INT. FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT Clare sits on the couch with a book. The fireplace is filled with golden flames. A warm and peaceful room. Thomas comes through from the kitchen and sets down a mug next to Clare, then takes a seat. THOMAS I got the feeling we weren't exactly welcome here today. The few locals I met were... a little unwilling to speak to me with anything other than haste. CLARE Yes. I was told the people here don't like newcomers. THOMAS Who told you that? CLARE Rosaline. She's an older lady, lives a mile down the path. She seems nice. They shun her because she wasn't born in this town. (beat) She said they had secrets. Secrets they are afraid will be exposed. What do you suppose that means? THOMAS Sounds like crazy talk to me. CLARE It does but... she sounded so convinced. Well, I guess living in isolation for so many years can play with the mind. Thomas sets down his mug and turns to this sister. THOMAS You know what today is. CLARE Of course I know what today is, Thomas. You think I could forget so easily? That I could just wipe the date for my mind without a second thought? THOMAS I'm sorry. I just... you haven't spoken of it. CLARE (beat) Michael doesn't need to be upset anymore than he already is. We shouldn't remind him. THOMAS And you? Clare stares at him for a moment. She takes a deep breath before continuing: CLARE Do you know what the last thing he said to me was? He told me to tell you something... he said to not lose yourself in the darkness. (beat) You know why he said that? Because the radiation poisoning was causing him to hallucinate. Nothing he said made sense, it was random thoughts running through his mind that he couldn't really make sense of. (beat) And now, the lasting image I have of my husband of eleven years is that of a crazy, worn man, who didn't even know who I was at the end of it all. His mind had become so fragmented in those last few hours that he didn't even know his own name. She breaks down in tears. Thomas doesn't comfort her, he just looks at her, with a nod. THOMAS He knew who you were, Clare. He could never forget you. MICHAEL (O.S) Mom? They both turn to Michael, who stands in the doorway. Clare quickly wipes her tears. CLARE What is it sweetie? MICHAEL I can't find Max anywhere. He pulls up the lead, with nothing at the end of it but frayed material, as if something has cut loose. EXT. HOUSE The family home is surrounded by darkness. Thomas comes out the front door with a flashlight, followed by Clare and Michael, who stop at the threshold. CLARE Be careful, Thomas. THOMAS I'll be fine. MICHAEL Wait! You can't go into the woods. It's not safe. THOMAS Don't you worry yourself, Michael. I'll be all right. MICHAEL No! She said not to go into the woods. CLARE Who told you this? MICHAEL The lady. Rosaline. She told me. Clare thinks about this, turns to Thomas, who shakes it off. He continues down the path. MICHAEL (CONT'D) It's not safe in there, Mom. CLARE He'll be fine. Come on, let's get you to bed. They turn around and ENTER the house. EXT. WOODS A flashlight leads the way as Thomas pushes past the branches. He comes to a stop, spinning on his heels, trying to get a good look between the trees. THE FLASHLIGHT THROWS A WAVERING BEAM ON THE GRASS AHEAD OF HIM. THOMAS (softly calls) Max... THE BEAM OF HIS FLASHLIGHT FINDS A PATH. Thomas starts following it. His shoulders attacked by stray branches. THOMAS (CONT'D) You're always doing this, damn dog. I swear, if I get eaten alive from insect bites I'm going to -- A TWIG SNAPS UP AHEAD. Thomas stops dead in his tracks. HE SHINES THE LIGHT DOWN THE PATH. Nothing but grass and trees. THOMAS (CONT'D) Max, is that you? Here boy... ANOTHER TWIG SNAPS BEHIND HIM. Thomas spins and AIMS THE FLASHLIGHT AT THE TREE DIRECTLY BEHIND HIM. The light moves up and down the large tree. THOMAS (CONT'D) (yelling) Is anybody else in here? You're wasting your time if you're trying to scare me! I'm a mechanic and I know how to use a wrench as a weapon! Beat. There is nothing. THOMAS CAN HEAR HIS OWN BREATHING. IT'S HEAVY, ECHOING... AS IF BOUNCING FROM TREE TO TREE. Beat. Thomas's eyes dart around. He holds his breath. WILDLIFE SOUNDS BEGIN TO RISE IN VOLUME. Thomas turns, starts moving slowly up ahead. THE FLASHLIGHT BEAM FALLS ON A PRINT IN THE EARTH. He kneels down, SHINES THE LIGHT ON IT. DEFINITELY A PAWPRINT. A BIRD FLAPS ITS WINGS. Thomas leaps to his feet and drops the FLASHLIGHT at the same time. THE BEAM OF LIGHT TURNS OFF THE INSTANT IT HITS THE GROUND. THOMAS IS IN DARKNESS NOW. HE LOOKS IN ALL DIRECTIONS, HEARS NOISES COMING FROM EVERYWHERE. HIS BREATHING IS FAST AND GETTING LOUDER. Beat. Thomas reaches down to the ground and gropes in the darkness. His hands search over the dirt in all directions. They finally GRAB THE FLASHLIGHT. Thomas quickly fumbles with it, struggling to find the switch. Finally he does. A BEAM OF LIGHT SHOOTS ACROSS THE PATH. SOMETHING LARGE AND SHADOW IS JUST A FEW FEET AWAY. It instantly LEAPS INTO THE DARKNESS. Thomas stumbles backwards into the grass. He's tangled in some branches and struggles to rise. He gets up and breaks off into the direction he came. Leaves and stalks slap him from all directions. HIS HEART IS POUNDING. He gets to a tree, looks behind, looks ahead, left and right. He doesn't know where he is. THERE IS SOMETHING MOVING BEHIND HIM. Thomas makes a sudden left turn. He puts his hands in front of him to protect his face and eyes but the FLASHLIGHT gets caught up in a branch and FALLS TO THE GROUND. He stops, looks back. Does he have time to get it? He doesn't. He breaks off into a sprint. Thomas keeps running as fast as he can, frantically trying to get out of the woods. He can't see where he's going, what he's treading on, or what is behind him. HE TRIPS AND CRASHES TO THE GROUND. Thomas rolls down a bank and INTO THE LAKE. SPLASH! Beat. Then he rises from the water, GASPING FOR AIR. He desperately tries to catch his breath. He looks around, everything is still. Up ahead he can see A CAVE FORMATION WHERE THE LAKE RUNS THROUGH. He seems transfixed. INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM Michael is tucked up in bed. Clare sits beside him with a book in her hands. She continues to read to him. CLARE (reading) Adam didn't know why he didn't belong. Maybe it was because he didn't say much, or because he had immense black hair whereas the other boys all had brown or blond. Every time he tried to talk to the children, they told him not to bother them again. All he -- MICHAEL Mom? CLARE Yes? MICHAEL Why don't we talk about Dad anymore? A beat. Clare tucks the book away on the bookshelf and turns back to Michael. CLARE Because some things are better left as they are, Michael. MICHAEL But we don't even visit his grave anymore. CLARE (solemnly) Your Father loved you very much. You never forget that. MICHAEL Sometimes at night when I can't sleep and I need some water, I come out of my room and I hear you crying. Clare nods, conceals a tear. Michael gently puts his hand on hers. MICHAEL (CONT'D) I miss him too, Mommy. CLARE (teary) I know, honey. I know you do. Clare pulls him closer to an embrace. INT. CAVE THE SOUND OF WATER RUNNING ECHOES THROUGH THE CAVE. The moonlight bounces off the surface of the lake, lighting only a small percentage of the area. Thomas stumbles through the water. He wipes a trace of blood from his forehead as he makes his way slowly through the cave. His eyes shifting from one direction to the next. Clearly shaken. Thomas still continues through the cave, as if being called by something. He doesn't know where he's going but he knows he has to get there. A SPLASH BEHIND HIM. He spins on his heels. Nothing there but the opening of the cave. HIS HEART POUNDS HARD AND FAST. He turns back and begins walking again. Thomas comes to a large circular space surrounded by rocky walls. He looks around. The lake seems to run through various tunnels either side of a large rock, which looks more like a man made block. As he gets closer to the rock, Thomas sees that this is indeed A BOX. Not too big, but big enough to hold a small child. It's wooden, with not much holding it together but nails. Thomas' hand slowly REACHES OUT TO TOUCH IT. A DOG HOWLS. Thomas turns to see MAX JUST A FEW FEET AWAY. He sighs with slight relief. THOMAS Max. What are you... THE DOG GROWLS WITH INTENSITY. ITS EYES TRANSFIXED ON THE BOX AHEAD OF IT. Thomas picks up on this. He turns back to the box, GAZING AT IT FOR A FEW MOMENTS AS FAINT WHISPERS ECHO THROUGH THE CAVE. INT. MASTER BEDROOM At first we don't see anyone in this room. THEN WE HEAR SOBBING. Clare comes into view. She's holding her head in her hands, crying. A beat. She pulls herself together, wipes her tears and takes something from the side table. It's a photo frame. CLOSE ON: PHOTOGRAPH The man is DANIEL EMMERICH. IN THE PHOTO HE IS BEAMING A SMILE. BUT GRADUALLY THE PHOTO BECOMES SLIGHTLY DISTORTED. DANIEL'S SKIN BECOMES CRACKED, PALE, HIS EYES BLOODSHOT. A WHITE LIGHT FILLS THE SCREEN... FADE TO: INT. BEDROOM - FLASHBACK ... AND FADES AWAY until we find ourselves in a room. This bedroom is not in the Emmerich home. Daniel sits upright in bed. He looks a DEATHLY WHITE, SWEAT DRIPPING FROM HIS FOREHEAD. HIS PUPILS DETRACTED. Clare comes through the door HOLDING A BOWL OF HOT WATER. She sets it down by the bedside and pulls out a cloth. CLARE How are you? DANIEL (groggy) Tired. Everything is... so hazy. CLARE I understand. DANIEL It's cold in here. CLARE Do you want another blanket? DANIEL Yes please. And get me some air while you're at it. Clare nods, if only to keep him at peace. SHE DABS THE CLOTH IN THE HOT WATER, WRINGS IT OUT AND WIPES IT ACROSS DANIEL'S FOREHEAD. DANIEL (CONT'D) I saw the butterflies today. They were singing. CLARE That must have been nice for you. DANIEL But I wonder, were they really singing or is my mind so completely lost that I cannot comprehend the reality? CLARE Daniel... DANIEL (soft) I know I'm dying. I know I don't make sense. But I see so many things now, as if I have new eyes. (beat) It's dark. Cold, wet, and dark. I can't even see where my hand is reaching but I know it is. I know it's going somewhere. And there's growling. It is strange this growling is the only comforting thing about this place. Daniel raises his hand to his forehead. DANIEL (CONT'D) I'm bleeding. CLARE You're not bleeding, Daniel. DANIEL You can't see. (beat; soft) Tell Michael to keep doing the things he wants to do. Tell him never to forget that his Daddy loves him. Tell Thomas to beware of the darkness, make sure he doesn't lose himself. Daniel takes Clare's hand in his. DANIEL (CONT'D) You... CLARE I'm here. DANIEL You must forget. Don't try to figure it out, you will only fall trying. CLARE Please, Daniel... don't. DANIEL See. See the birds. See the shadows, the cracks in the walls. I should tell you not to be afraid but I fear I won't have to. You won't be. Fear is nothing if not justified. (whispers) But you should be afraid. You should run. Clare pulls back from Daniel, stares at him, clearly shaken. A beat. She picks up the bowl and QUICKLY EXITS. Daniel watches her LEAVE. As we hang on him, the BRIGHT WHITE FILLS THE SCREEN AGAIN... FADE TO: INT. MASTER BEDROOM - (PRESENT) ... AND DISSIPATES, back onto Clare holding the photo frame. She places it back on the bedside table and WIPES HER TEARS AWAY AGAIN. She looks around the room before EXITING. INT. KITCHEN THE KETTLE BOILS ON THE STOVE. Clare takes it and pours herself a mug of coffee. With a sigh, she takes a sip, turning her attention to the window. THE MOON GLARING BACK AT HER THROUGH THE DARKNESS. FOOTSTEPS IN THE NEXT ROOM. Clare turns to the closed door. A beat. She puts the mug down, looks around the kitchen, and moves to the door. She reaches out for the door knob and TURNS IT. INT. FAMILY ROOM Clare peeks through the gap in the door to take a look at the room. Nothing. SHE BREATHES HEAVILY. She looks to the next door, also closed, and makes her way to it, making sure not to make a sound. FOOTSTEPS GOING UP THE STAIRS. Clare looks to the ceiling, HER EYES WIDEN IN FEAR. She heads towards the door. INT. FRONT HALL Clare peers around the corner and looks up the stairs. MUDDY FOOTPRINTS LINE THE STEPS. CLARE (softly calls) Thomas? She turns to her right and sees THE FRONT DOOR IS WIDE OPEN. She goes to it and gently closes it. As she turns around she notices the dining room door is open. She steps closer to the room and spots something. THE GLASS CABINET IS OPEN. THE SHOTGUN IS MISSING. CLARE GASPS, FEARING THE WORST. Hastily she makes her way up the stairs, avoiding the muddy footprints as she goes. INT. HALL LANDING Clare reaches the top of the staircase. She looks both ways, left and right. All doors are closed. Without hesitation, she moves to Michael's bedroom door and pushes it open. She peers in, disappearing for a moment. Clare returns to the hall WITH A BASEBALL BAT. She pulls the door closed and GRIPS THE BASEBALL BAT FIRMLY as she continues across the hall. FOOTSTEPS UPSTAIRS. Clare turns around, immediately looking at the hatch leading to the attic. Her eyes run along the floor where the FOOTPRINTS LEAD AND DISAPPEAR WITHOUT TRACE. The intruder is in the attic. Clare takes the pole, hooks the hatch, and quietly pulls it down, HER HEART POUNDING IN HER CHEST. Next comes the ladder. A beat. She contemplates her next move. Finally, Clare steps onto the first step of the ladder, using one hand to hold onto the rail, and the other gripping onto the baseball bat. Gradually she makes her way up, carefully and discreetly. INT. ATTIC THE RADIO IS PLAYING SOME OLD MUSIC. There seems to be nobody in the dark attic. Clare pops her head through the hatch, looking every which way. BREATHING HARD AND FRIGHTENED, she pulls herself up. She flicks the light switch. NOTHING HAPPENS. Clare tries it a few more times, frantically CLICKING THE SWITCH. Still, nothing. CLARE (CONT'D) Is anyone here? No response. Clare moves to the radio, kneels down and SWITCHES IT OFF. She begins to rise but as she does SHE SEES THE MUDDY FOOTPRINTS. We follow the trail until we see TWO FEET. CLARE JUMPS BACK IN SHOCK, RAISING THE BASEBALL BAT ABOVE HER HEAD, READY TO SWING, UNTIL... CLARE (CONT'D) (seeing) Thomas...? Thomas stands in the shadows. Only the MOONLIGHT FROM THE WINDOW LIGHTS HALF HIS BODY AND FACE. HE IS TREMBLING. CLARE (CONT'D) Thomas, what's... THOMAS (stammers) It's not for us. It's not. We can't... they don't know. Too much... CLARE Thomas, you're scaring me. THOMAS (erratic; shouts) It's too much! I can't absorb it! I can't! I can't! Clare looks him over. Thomas is DRIPPING WET, COVERED IN MUD. She edges closer to him. CLARE (edgy) Why don't we go downstairs and talk about this over coffee? You like coffee, you have done since you -- THOMAS (teary) I don't understand. I tried but I can't understand the meaning. I need to know the meaning! CLARE Thomas... THOMAS (shouts) It's too much! THOMAS PULLS SOMETHING OUT OF THE SHADOWS. IT'S THE SHOTGUN. HE PUTS THE BARRELL UNDER HIS CHIN AND PULLS THE TRIGGER! CLARE SCREAMS IN HORROR. SHE STUMBLES BACK, FALLING TO THE FLOOR, STILL SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER! FADE TO: EXT. HOUSE - LATER Clare sits on the steps of the house with Michael. Neither of them say a word. Both look in shock. POLICE CARS AND AN AMBULANCE ARE ON THE SCENE, SIRENS ARE ALL WE HEAR. SHERIFF BILL MORTON watches as PARAMEDICS CARRY OUT A STRETCHER. He stops them, takes a look under the white sheet. HE QUICKLY BACKS OFF, turning away. He approaches Clare and Michael. SHERIFF MORTON Mrs Emmerich? Clare only nods. SHERIFF MORTON (CONT'D) I understand you've just been through something horrific but I'm gonna have to ask you a few questions. CLARE Questions? SHERIFF MORTON (re: Michael) Maybe the boy would be better off inside? Claire nods, turning to her son. CLARE Go on inside. I'll be there shortly. MICHAEL But, Mom -- CLARE Go inside, Michael. Michael gives into defeat and ENTERS THE HOUSE. The Sheriff takes out a notepad and a pen. SHERIFF MORTON Was your bother on any drugs, narcotics? CLARE (stammers) No. I d-don't think so. He never did any drugs in his life. SHERIFF MORTON Was he under the influence of alcohol at all tonight? CLARE No. I would have known if he'd been drinking. (beat) Sheriff... what happened to my brother? SHERIFF MORTON (bluntly) Well, ma'am. He shot himself. CLARE No. People don't just shoot themselves. He wasn't... he had no reason to take his own life. He wouldn't. SHERIFF MORTON I'm sorry to say it happens all the time. Most of them do it because of drugs or drink, or personal problems. Was Thomas in debt to anyone? Loan sharks? CLARE No. He was a good man. He didn't have any enemies. Nobody disliked him... I can't believe this has happened. It can't be true. This isn't Thomas... SHERIFF MORTON I'm not qualified to comment on your brother's personality, ma'am. I'd suggest going back inside, try to get some sleep. I know this is hard for you but I'm gonna have to ask you to come by the station tomorrow. CLARE Why? SHERIFF MORTON Just some formal things. Better to get them out of the way. (beat) I'm sorry for your loss. Clare nods. Sheriff Morton climbs in one of the patrol cars and drives away. The other follows in pursuit. Clare rises from the step, watches them leave, before turning back to the house. She sees Michael STARING AT HER THROUGH THE WINDOW. But she realizes something. He's not staring at her. She turns to the wooded lake. It looks almost sinister in the darkness. Clare hangs on this for a beat. Then she heads into the house. INT. FRONT HALL Clare closes the door behind her as Michael comes through from the family room. A beat. MICHAEL Mom... why did Uncle Tom shoot himself? Clare struggles not to break down in tears, although she knows it's coming. CLARE I don't know, Michael. (soft) It's late. You should be in bed. MICHAEL Mommy, can I sleep in your bed tonight? CLARE (teary) Yes. A beat. Michael suddenly lunges into an embrace, WRAPPING HIS ARMS AROUND CLARE AS SHE KNEELS DOWN, CRYING. FADE TO: INT. MASTER BEDROOM - LATER The room is only lit by the moonlight coming through a gap in the curtains. Clare and Michael lie on the bed together. The boy is asleep, but Clare is wide eyed. One arm wrapped firmly around her son. FADE TO: EXT. COUNTY POLICE STATION - MORNING We see a few COPS get in a PATROL CAR AND DRIVE OFF. Through the main entrance appears Clare, followed by the Sheriff. They come down the steps and to a stop. SHERIFF MORTON I'll keep you posted on anything that comes our way. Other than that I can't do anything. CLARE Can't do anything? Sheriff, my brother didn't commit suicide. Something happened to him. SHERIFF MORTON You think he was driven to shoot himself? CLARE It's the only thing I can think of that explains this. SHERIFF MORTON What can you tell me to collaborate this theory? Clare struggles to come up with anything. SHERIFF MORTON (CONT'D) I know this is a hard thing to come to terms with but you're gonna have to face facts, ma'am. Your brother killed himself right in front of you. Surely that's all you need to know. CLARE But the things he said, the way he was acting. It doesn't make sense! SHERIFF MORTON If I were you, I'd use all your efforts to plan his funeral instead of trying to explain his reasons. Clare shakes her head in despair. Somebody catches her eye. She looks across the street to see Rosaline STANDING BY HER STATION WAGON, looking her way. SHERIFF MORTON (CONT'D) And I wouldn't suggest making friends with a woman like that. The old lady's been up on that hill so long she's started to believe her own fantasies. CLARE What fantasies? The Sheriff doesn't answer. He heads back up the steps and into the station. Clare waits a moment, then she starts off towards Roasline. JEN (O.S) Clare? Clare stops, turns, and sees JEN FENNER. She immediately HUGS HER. JEN (CONT'D) I came as soon as I got your message. I'm so sorry, Clare. Clare SOBS. A beat. She pulls back, looks to the other side of the road but Rosaline had disappeared. She looks around. Nowhere in sight. JEN (CONT'D) How about we go get something to drink? Clare nods as they walk up the sidewalk. INT. DINER Clare and Jen are tucked away in the corner of the diner, oblivious to the STARES FROM THE LOCALS, one woman in particular, DOTTY HARRISON, the owner of the establishment. JEN (CONT'D) How are you holding up? CLARE (soft) I'm not sure. It feels like there's something being ripped apart inside. He was my brother and now... he's not here. JEN It must be... what about Michael? CLARE He's afraid to sleep in his own bed. Last night we slept together in mine. To tell you the truth, I was glad. Because if he weren't with me I would have just cried all night long. But I had to stay strong for him. It's the only way we can get through it. JEN Does he know how Thomas died? CLARE I told him it was an accident. That Thomas was reloading the shotgun and... (beat) I don't think he believes me. But he's old enough to understand this lie is better than saying the truth. JEN You're a survivor, Clare. You'll get through this. And I'm not going anywhere. CLARE You're staying in town? JEN For as long as you need me. I mean, if you don't mind me taking up your couch? CLARE Of course not. (beat) I guess I'll need some help arranging Thomas' funeral. JEN Do you know when his body will be released by the coroner? CLARE (shakes her head) They didn't say, just that I should be expecting a call. (beat) I have to bury my brother. And the worst things is, I can't get get my head around it. I mean, you knew Thomas, does this seem like something he would do? Jen is silent. Clare notices. CLARE (CONT'D) What? JEN I don't know how to say it, Clare. It's not something you're going to like. CLARE Just tell me. JEN Thomas... he didn't tell you everything, Clare. CLARE Like what? JEN I wasn't supposed to tell you, he didn't want you knowing. CLARE (impatiently) Knowing what? Jen takes a moment, gathering her words carefully. JEN Remember when he was traveling the country? He liked it so much he decided to stay in Canada. And he called you every week without fail, just like you'd agreed? CLARE Sure. JEN He wasn't calling from Canada, Clare. CLARE What --? JEN I got this call one night. It was Thomas. He sounded awful, as if the very life of him had been kicked out of his body. At first he didn't say anything... he was crying so hard. (beat) He didn't tell me over the phone exactly what had happened but he did say he'd been in an accident in Pennsylvania. He pleaded with me not to tell you because he didn't want you upset. I didn't have any choice, Clare... because when I got there, I realized what he'd done. (beat) He had been arrested. CLARE Thomas was arrested? What... Thomas has never been arrested in his life. JEN As far as you know. But he had, Clare, and... well, it turns out, he had been in a car accident. He had had too much to drink that night and he got in the car, and he drove home... but he didn't reach home. Because instead of watching the road like he was supposed to be doing, he was falling asleep. (beat) Thomas killed a woman that night. He ran her over at seventy miles per hour on a country back road. A beat. Clare tries to take this all in, obviously shocked. Jen takes a deep breath, then: JEN (CONT'D) He was charged with manslaughter and drink-driving. He got eight years inside for something he could have avoided. CLARE But that would mean... JEN That would mean he had only just got out when Daniel died. CLARE No. This isn't... Thomas has never... JEN I know it's hard. I had a hard time believing it myself, but it really happened, I was there. I watched as a normally happy man turned into a depressed shadow of himself. (beat) When he was released, he changed. He had to. He did exactly what you're doing now for Michael. He had to be strong for you through Daniel's death, because he knew there was no alternative. But that woman's death must have haunted him. A beat. CLARE BREAKS DOWN IN TEARS. Jen comforts her. JEN (CONT'D) I'm sorry, Clare, but you have to know that to understand why he would have done something like this. CLARE (through tears) Now I know... now I know... A beat. Dotty approaches with a notepad. DOTTY Ya'll gonna order any food or what? JEN No. No food. DOTTY Well, this is a diner. Eat to stay. JEN Can't you see we're -- DOTTY Order something or get out. It's not hard to understand, honey. CLARE Are you that rude? Don't you know my brother just died? DOTTY No, love. Your brother killed himself. We don't take kindly to newcomers who bring death into our town. CLARE I did not... Clare, so appalled, GETS UP AND EXITS. JEN (to Dotty) Do you have any compassion? DOTTY It's saved for the ones I've known for years, honey. Jen shoots Dotty an icy look before following Clare out of the diner. Dotty turns back to the locals. DOTTY (CONT'D) Damn people. The sooner they leave the better. (beat) Either that or... well, ya'll know. The locals nod in understanding. INT. FAMILY ROOM - DAY Clare is curled up on the couch, STARING OFF INTO SPACE. We hang on her for a moment, too lost in her own thoughts to notice Jen ENTER, CARRYING A SOCCER BALL. JEN I told Michael I'd take him out, for a game of soccer. Are you going to be all right for a while? CLARE (distracted) "It's too much." JEN What? CLARE It's what Thomas kept saying... that he couldn't absorb it. He was talking about that woman, wasn't he? JEN Try not to dwell on it, Clare. Thomas was a good man. What happened was an accident. CLARE Doesn't make it... She trails off, unable to finish. Jen nods, before EXITING. Clare STANDS AND HEADS TO THE WINDOW. She watches Jen and Michael walk up the driveway. A beat. Clare turns around and sees Rosaline's handbag tucked away by the computer desk. She picks it up, SIGHING. INT. FOOTPATH Jen and Michael walk through a field. JEN How far do we have to walk, Michael? MICHAEL I told you, we have to find Max. JEN Michael, I don't think we're going to find him unless he wants to be found. Dogs tend to go missing when they've got a taste of freedom but soon get hungry. He'll come back. MICHAEL But... if we don't look for him, he might hurt himself. Like Uncle Tom. (beat) He didn't kill himself. JEN Is that what Mommy told you? MICHAEL No. He did. Jen stops, kneels down beside Michael. JEN Who did? MICHAEL Uncle Tom. JEN You saw --? MICHAEL In my dream. Jen sighs with a relief. JEN You almost had me going there, boy. Come on, let's go look for Max. The pair continue along the footpath. EXT. ROSALINE'S HOUSE - LATER A car pulls up on the driveway. CLARE GETS OUT OF IT, CARRYING THE HANDBAG. She heads to the front door and RINGS THE BELL. After a beat, Rosaline opens it. CLARE Hi. I don't mean to bother you, Rosa, but I think you forgot this at the house. ROSALINE (smiles) Thank you, Clare. I would lose my head if it weren't stuck to my neck. CLARE That's all right. Clare is about to leave, but: ROSALINE Would you like a cup of tea? I've just made a fresh pot. Clare thinks about it. Rosaline holds the door open more and Clare goes through it. INT. ROSALINE'S KITCHEN Rosaline pours two cups of tea. Clare stands by the back door, Gazing through the window into the backyard. CLARE You have a beautiful garden, Rosa. ROSALINE Thank you, dear. CLARE How do you manage to keep it that nice? ROSALINE A lot of hard work and free time. I don't exactly spend my hours talking to people like most who live here. I suppose the reason for that is they just won't talk to me. Not that I would have it any other way. I like this house. I don't have to pretend to like anyone while I'm on my own. CLARE It must get lonely though. ROSALINE Sometimes. But I've always got my Joseph to talk to. (off her look) I know he's dead. I'm not crazy. CLARE I didn't -- ROSALINE They'll tell you that, of course. That I'm senile, too much time up here alone. (beat) But talking to Joseph means he's not really gone. He's still here, in spirit. It makes it easier to go on each day. CLARE How did he die? ROSALINE He was killed. CLARE Oh, God, I'm sorry. ROSALINE No need to apologize. You didn't know. CLARE (beat) My husband, Daniel, he worked for a nuclear power plant in New York. He had done almost all his life. He'd worked his way up the ladder and became a manager. One day there was a leak as he was training a new employee. The plant was evacuated but Daniel thought he could contain the leak. He went back inside, saved a lot of lives by doing that. (beat) That same day he was told he had been exposed to radiation. He died the day after. ROSALINE I'm sorry to hear that. CLARE (somberly) He was so foolish... always putting other people's lives ahead of his own. Sometimes I hate him for that because in doing so, I lost my husband. And Michael lost his Daddy. (beat) And now Thomas... I don't know how much more I can take. ROSALINE (beat) Do you truly believe Thomas took his own life? CLARE I was there. I saw it with my own eyes. ROSALINE Sometimes we spend too much time looking to see. Clare thinks that over. Suddenly her CELL PHONE RINGS. She quickly pulls it out of her pocket and answers it. CLARE (into phone) Hello? (listens) All right. I'll be right there. Bye. CLICK! Clare turns back to Rosaline. CLARE (CONT'D) My friend, she's staying with me for a while. Michael wants me to put him to bed. ROSALINE You go. See your boy. CLARE (nods) Thank you for the tea. ROSALINE Anytime. And don't forget, whenever you need something, no matter what it is, you're welcome here. CLARE Thank you. Clare turns to walk away. ROSALINE I'll be seeing you. Clare smiles, unsure of what seems to be a hidden meaning. She EXITS. Rosaline sighs, watching her go. INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Michael is sitting on his bed, looking out the window. Clare ENTERS and sits beside him. CLARE So you're sleeping on your own tonight? MICHAEL Yes. CLARE Are you going to be all right? MICHAEL Yes. Clare takes a book. MICHAEL (CONT'D) Mom, why do people keep dying? CLARE (beat) Because that's what happens. We grow old and do everything there is to do in life, and then we pass away. MICHAEL But Uncle Tom wasn't old. Or Daddy. CLARE No. No, they weren't. MICHAEL (beat) Mom, are dreams sometimes real? CLARE No, sweetheart. That's why they happen when you sleep. MICHAEL But what if something that really happened was in my dream too? Is that real? CLARE I guess so. Why do you ask? MICHAEL Uncle Tom was in my dream last night. CLARE He was? MICHAEL I saw him in the woods. He was cold and wet and it was dark. Clare's eyes drift off. INT. BEDROOM - FLASHBACK Clare is sitting beside Daniel on the bed. DANIEL It's dark. Cold, wet, and dark. I can't even see where my hand is reaching but I know it is. CUT TO: INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - (PRESENT) Clare looks back to Michael. MICHAEL He had blood on his head. I think he hurt himself. CUT TO: INT. BEDROOM - FLASHBACK Daniel has his hand on his forehead. DANIEL I'm bleeding. CLARE You're not bleeding, Daniel DANIEL You can't see. CUT TO: INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - (PRESENT) Clare's breathing is becoming more erratic as Michael continues: MICHAEL He was just shaking. Not because he was cold but because he was scared. CLARE What was he scared of? MICHAEL The dark. DANIEL (V.O) Tell Thomas to beware of the darkness, make sure he doesn't lose himself. Clare gets to her feet suddenly. MICHAEL Mommy, what's wrong? Did I scare you? CLARE (disturbed) No. No. You didn't scare me. I... I just remembered something. You go to sleep now, okay? MICHAEL But, Mom... my dream. CLARE Don't dream like that again. MICHAEL I'm sorry. Clare quickly EXITS. Michael tucks himself into bed. INT. HALL LANDING Clare leans against the door to the bedroom. She tries to catch her breath and looks as if SHE HAS SEEN A GHOST. She takes a moment before turns to the stairs but as she reaches them, she stops. Clare looks above to see the attic hatch. She takes a look down the stairs. We can hear voices coming from the television. A beat. INT. ATTIC Clare steps up from the ladder, takes a look around. In her hand is a LIGHTBULB. She screws it in and flicks the switch. THE ROOM LIGHTS UP. Clare GASPS at the blood on the wall and window. After a moment, she approaches the grisly sight. She reaches out, almost touching the blood, but retreats at the last moment. Then, something catches her eyes. Clare looks through the window. The blood on the glass gives the view a RED TINT. With this, the woods look truly menacing. We hang on this for a beat. CLARE What am I supposed to be seeing? She waits. Nothing. FADE TO: EXT. WOODS - NIGHT The woods are dark and eerie. A FIGURE RUNS THROUGH THE TREES. We soon see this is Michael. Breathing hard and heavy, scared out of him mind. He turns left, right, behind him, and ahead. Where does he go? A RUSTLING IN THE TREES. Michael breaks off down a narrow footpath, looking back as he runs. THERE IS A SHADOW ON HIM AT ALL TIMES. He runs and runs, faster and faster, until HE TRIPS. For a moment there is silence. We can't see anybody in sight. SUDDENLY A BLOODIED THOMAS IS RIGHT IN OUR FACES. THOMAS There's more! WE SWING AROUND TO SEE A LINE OF CORPSES, HANGING FROM THE TREES BY ROPE. CUT TO: INT. MASTER BEDROOM - MORNING CLAIRE SCREAMS! She springs awake, her eyes wide in horror, her breathing frantic. She looks around, takes a moment to recover. CLARE (worried) Michael. She leaps out of bed. INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM Michael is fast asleep in his bed. Claire bursts in, the noise waking him. MICHAEL (confused) Mom? CLARE I thought... it doesn't matter. Go back to sleep, honey. JEN (O.S) Clare? Clare turns to see Jen just behind her. JEN (CONT'D) I heard screaming. Are you all right? What's going on? CLARE Nothing. Bad dream. (forces a smile) How about some breakfast? Jen nods as Clare EXITS. MICHAEL Is Mommy going crazy? Jen doesn't respond. INT. KITCHEN Clare is cooking pancakes in a pan. Jen ENTERS. JEN What was your dream? CLARE Oh, nothing. I can't really remember it now. JEN Well, you screamed loud enough. CLARE Sorry. JEN No. It's not that. (beat) Clare, are you really okay? CLARE I'm fine. Considering. JEN You know, I've been meaning to ask you something ever since I got here. CLARE What's that? JEN Why don't you and Michael come back to the city? You'd be closer to me and... let's face it, the people around here aren't exactly the nicest bunch. CLARE No. JEN But, Clare -- CLARE I said no! (beat) I'm sorry. I just, I don't want Michael near that kind of pollution. You know what happened to Daniel. JEN That was exposure to radiation, Clare. It's not the same. CLARE I don't want my son exposed to any kind of dangerous toxins. I want him to have the greatest chance of a full life. He can get that here. JEN In the same house his uncle killed himself in? Clare reacts to this, turning to face Jen. CLARE He did not kill himself! JEN (beat) Clare... I told you -- CLARE I know what you told me but I don't believe he would take his life for that. JEN What other better reason than a death he caused? CLARE Then where's the note? JEN What? CLARE People who commit suicide leave notes. There was no note. JEN Clare, not all the time. There are some people that just can't put down in words how they feel. CLARE Thomas wouldn't. He couldn't. If what you said about him, about him being strong for me, if that's true, than why would he do this? That's not being strong. And Daniel told me... JEN Daniel told you what? Clare is unsure how to word it. She turns the stove off and takes a seat at the table. CLARE Before Daniel died, he had a period of talking about random things. Most of it didn't make sense at all. Or, didn't make sense at the time. He was talking as if he was in a cold, dark place. (beat) He told me to tell Thomas to make sure he doesn't lose himself in the darkness. And... the blood I couldn't see. He told me I couldn't see! JEN Clare -- CLARE Don't you understand? I only realized when Michael was telling me about his dream. He dreamt of Thomas, in the woods, afraid of the dark, a cut on his head. Just before Thomas shot himself he had a cut on his forehead! JEN What are you saying, Clare? That somehow Daniel could predict the future? Or that Michael can see the past? CLARE Both. Jen puts her hand on Clare's. JEN I'm worried about you. This isn't healthy. Clare pulls away. CLARE I'm not some mental patient! I know what I'm saying and I know it sounds a little odd but -- JEN A little odd? It's not a little odd, it's downright insane. Clare, I know it's hard to accept, but Thomas shot himself because he killed a woman. He killed her because he drank too much and got in a car. That woman's family have been put through Hell because of him. That is the only reason he did what he did. (beat) I'm sorry. But these theories of yours, whatever they may be, are just denial. A beat. Clare finally nods. CLARE You're right. I'm sorry... it's hard to think of... JEN It's okay. It's normal. CLARE (beat) Could you watch Michael for me? I need to go into town for some things. JEN You sure you don't want me to go for you? CLARE No. I need some time on my own. JEN Okay. You go clear your head. CLARE Thank you. Clare EXITS. Jen watches on after her, worried. INT. CAR Clare sits in the car, her head on the steering wheel, SOBBING. After a beat, she wipes her eyes and STARTS THE ENGINE. She pulls the car away and down the driveway. INT. DINER Dotty is leaning on the counter in the almost empty diner. Dharma stands on the other side. Clare ENTERS, walks to them. DHARMA Well, well. If it ain't the lady from the woods. CLARE I know you don't like me much, or even at all. DHARMA Got that right. CLARE And I don't care. My brother killed himself in our attic two nights ago and I need to know why. DOTTY Well, honey, you've come to the wrong place. See, this is a diner. You eat, you drink, you leave. CLARE Just tell me if you've heard of anything like this before. I've spoken to Rosaline and -- DHARMA That crazy old widow? DOTTY Whatever stories she's been spinning you, you'd better forget them. The lady lost her mind years ago. CLARE She told me you'd all say that. And I don't believe she is crazy. DOTTY Believe what you want, honey, but every since her husband killed himself she's been like that. Making up stories like the ones she probably told you. CLARE Her husband committed suicide? DHARMA Five years ago. CLARE She said... DOTTY She's been lying to you. Poor thing probably don't mean to but it's the imbalance in the brain. You go ask the doctor, he'll tell you the same. SHERIFF MORTON (O.S) Ladies. They all turn to see the Sheriff ENTERING, not looking very pleased. DOTTY Bill, what can I get you? SHERIFF MORTON Coffee. To go. (to Clare) Ma'am. Clare doesn't reply. She EXITS, lost in thought. All three of them watch her go. SHERIFF MORTON (CONT'D) What were you two telling her? DHARMA About Rosaline's husband. SHERIFF MORTON You know you shouldn't talk to strangers, Dharma. (to Dotty) And I thought you would have know better. DOTTY Oh, Bill. She don't know nothing. If anything, we may have just convinced her Rosaline's as crazy as she acts. SHERIFF MORTON (sighs) Every time with these new ones. Thinking they know they can change things. DOTTY Now don't you fret. Something tells me she won't be around much longer. They exchange grins. INT. LIBRARY Clare is sitting in the corner, surrounded by bookcases full of books. On the floor in front of Clare are old town newspapers. She flicks through them until she finds what she's looking for. The headline reads: "WIFE FINDS WAR HERO HUSBAND HANGED." Clare looks to the next newspaper. "WAR HERO ELEVENTH SUICIDE." Flicking through the newspapers, she frantically searches them all. JONATHON (O.S) Hey! Clare looks up to see JONATHON WILKES, the librarian. JONATHON (CONT'D) We're closing now. CLARE All right. I'll just be a few more seconds. JONATHON Okay. Not too long though. As he goes to walk away: CLARE Excuse me. Sorry but, there's no newspaper editions before nineteen- ninety-nine. JONATHON No. There's not. CLARE Why? JONATHON (shrugs) I guess cos there was no newspaper before then. CLARE But it says here, "Issue Number two-hundred-and-thirty-six." JONATHON Oh. Well, um... I... CLARE Please. JONATHON (sighs) I'm not supposed to talk to you. CLARE Why not? JONATHON I can't tell you. I'm sorry. I don't... CLARE Look, all I'm trying to do is find out why my brother would shoot himself without letting me know anything was wrong. I will find out, whether you help me or not. But I'd rather not have to keep doing this every day. Please. Help me. JONATHON (beat) You promise you won't tell anyone I have? CLARE Cross my heart. JONATHON You'd better follow me. Clare gets to her feet. INT. LIBRARY BACK ROOM Jonathon unlocks the door and ENTERS, followed by Clare. He heads to a filing cabinet. JONATHON (CONT'D) This is it. CLARE What? JONATHON There's every issue of the paper in that cabinet. I'm sorry but I can't do anything else for you. CLARE It's all right. Thank you. JONATHON I need to lock up. There's a fire exit you can go out of but make sure it's closed when you leave. CLARE I will. JONATHON (beat) I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am. CLARE Thank you. Jonathon waits a beat before EXITING. Clare watches him leave, then heads straight into the filing cabinet. She pulls out a STACK OF NEWSPAPERS AND LAYS THEM ON THE TABLE. One by one she goes through them. SERIES OF NEWSPAPER SHOTS: "MAYOR IN SUICIDE SCANDAL" "LOCAL WOMAN KILLS HUSBAND THEN HERSELF" "NURSE IN ATTEMPTED SUICIDE" "MAN DROWNS IN LAKE: COPS RULE SUICIDE" "CHILD DIES THROUGH SELF-HARMING" CUT TO: INT. LIBRARY BACK ROOM - DAY Clare is still flicking through the newspapers. Dozens of issues are scattered across the floor and desk. She comes to one edition and pauses. "STRANGE LIGHTS IN THE WOODS." She runs her finger over it to see the date: "JULY 18, 1973." Clare thinks. She quickly digs through the pile and pulls out another edition. "SON SHOOTS HIMSELF WITH FATHER'S RIFLE: FIRST SUICIDE IN TOWN HISTORY." She checks the date: "SEPTEMBER 2, 1973." A beat. Clare quickly gathers a big pile of the newspapers together and carries them out of the room. EXT. MAIN STREET Clare hurries along the sidewalk and loads the newspapers into her car. As she goes to open the car door: SHERIFF MORTON What you got there, ma'am? CLARE (startled) God, Sheriff. You frightened me. SHERIFF MORTON Got a habit of doing that. (re: newspapers) What are those? CLARE Nothing. They're just... well, they're nothing. SHERIFF MORTON You know, I've heard you've been asking some questions about your brother's suicide. Call me crazy, but I would've thought you'd know everything about that, with you being the one there at the time. CLARE I've just been... Sheriff, what has this got to do with anything? SHERIFF MORTON There's an old saying which fits well to what's going on here. Curiosity killed the cat. CLARE Are you threatening me? SHERIFF MORTON Ma'am, I'm the law enforcer. I wouldn't threaten you. But we don't take kindly to people asking too many questions. We like our town how it is. CLARE (beat) You like all the suicides? Clare opens the car door and gets in. The Sheriff leans through the window. SHERIFF MORTON (sneers) You'd do well to stay out of things that don't concern you. Clare rolls up the window and pulls away. INT. FAMILY ROOM Clare ENTERS, putting the big pile of newspapers on the table. After a beat, Jen comes through. JEN Clare, where have you been? You've been gone most of the day. CLARE I know. I'm sorry. JEN (re: newspapers) What's all this? CLARE The town newspaper. JEN From when, the dawn of time? CLARE From when the suicides first started. JEN Suicides? CLARE There's been eleven, twelve including Thomas. A couple of murders too. It all began in nineteen-seventy-two. JEN Clare -- CLARE I know what you're thinking but I'm not going crazy. It's all right here in print. I just need to look through it, see what I can come up with. JEN But I thought we'd talked about this. CLARE We did. JEN So again I ask, what's all this? Clare waits a beat, getting it straight in her head. CLARE There's an article on strange lights in the woods. That's when this all began. People started going crazy, killing themselves and others. JEN And your theory is --? CLARE My theory is that there's something in those woods. And everyone in this town knows it, trying to cover it up. The Sheriff threatened me because I'm getting close to finding out the truth. JEN So now there's a big conspiracy? CLARE If you don't believe me, that's fine. I can do this alone. JEN (beat) I think you should see a doctor, Clare. This isn't healthy. CLARE You think I'm deranged? JEN I think you're suffering from losing not only your brother but your husband too. You still haven't had a chance to get over that. And now this. (beat) I think it's all taken its toll on you. CLARE (thinks) Maybe I am crazy. But at least I know I'm right. She picks up the newspapers and heads to the door. JEN Where are you going? CLARE To read. Clare EXITS. Jen sighs, clearly in despair. INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM - NIGHT Jen is reading Michael a story. He interrupts: MICHAEL Why isn't Mom reading me a book tonight? JEN She's busy, Michael. MICHAEL Is she too sad? JEN It's not that. She's just got a lot on her mind at the moment. Don't worry, she'll be okay soon. MICHAEL What if she's not? JEN (beat) She will be. MICHAEL Will I have to live with someone else until she's better? JEN She's not sick, Michael. MICHAEL But I... I think I frightened her. I told her about my dream. JEN Your dream? MICHAEL The one with Uncle Tom. I told her and she didn't like it. (somberly) Does Mommy not like me anymore? JEN Why would you say that? Michael only SHRUGS. JEN (CONT'D) Your Mommy loves you. She always has and always will. Don't ever forget that okay? MICHAEL Okay. Jen continues reading. INT. FRONT HALL Clare grabs her coat and car keys. Jen comes down the stairs. JEN Where are you going? CLARE I need to see Rosa. JEN At this time of night? CLARE Yes. Could you please watch Michael for me? JEN (nods) He thinks you don't like him. CLARE What? JEN He thinks because you didn't like his dream, that now you don't like him for dreaming it. CLARE That's absurd. JEN Clare, you need to stop running around playing journalist, and be with your son through this rough time. CLARE No! What I need is for my friend to support me in something I believe in. JEN But you don't know what you believe in! CLARE (beat) Can you watch Michael or not? JEN (sighs) Of course. CLARE Thank you. Clare EXITS. EXT. ROSALINE'S HOUSE A car pulls up. Clare gets out and heads to the door. She RINGS THE BELL. A few moments later, Rosaline opens it. CLARE (CONT'D) I need some help. ROSALINE I know. Clare ENTERS the house. INT. ROSALINE'S FAMILY ROOM Clare sits on the couch. Rosaline ENTERS with two cups of tea. She passes one to Clare, who sets it down on the table. ROSALINE (CONT'D) I knew if I were to go to sleep early I would regret it. What I didn't bank on was you coming around. Not after what they told you anyway. (off her look) About Joseph. CLARE That he killed himself? ROSALINE He did not kill himself! (beat) He may have got the rope and hung himself but I do not believe he did it of his own free will. He wouldn't. Of course, they put it down to the war, that he'd "seen too much." Nonsense. My Joseph was as strong as an ox. He would never take his own life. He would never leave me. (beat) You should know, Clare. You feel the same way about that brother of yours. CLARE I do. ROSALINE And now you want to know the truth about the strange goings on in this quiet little town that isn't as quiet as it appears? CLARE Yes. ROSALINE (beat) I saw you coming, Clare, before you had even arrived. My whole life, I've experienced overwhelming feelings. My mother said I was marked by the devil, evil... but I wasn't... I'm not. (beat) You know that feeling you get when you think about someone and then the phone rings, and they're on the other line? Or when you walk past something and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? Or when you cross the street, and you're not sure which way to go, but something inside you is telling you to go on particular way? That, for me, is how I know things. (beat) I believe in fate, that everything happens for a reason, and every beginning has an end. (beat) Before you moved into the house, I was overcome with a feeling of closure, that everything in this town was about to change. I didn't know what it meant to begin with... but I do now. You are the one, Clare. The one who will finish this. CLARE I don't understand. ROSALINE You found the newspapers didn't you? You've read through them? CLARE Yes. How did you --? ROSALINE You also know they tried to keep them hidden. Lucky for you that Jonathon has a soft spot for the ladies. There are reasons those papers are locked away in a back room, Clare. CLARE Tell me. ROSALINE July seventeenth, nineteen-seventy- three, the day it all began. CLARE The lights in the woods? ROSALINE (nods) Joseph and I were walking the dog, must have been around seven o'clock in the evening. We were on the outskirts of the woods, for some reason we hadn't taken the normal route, it was as if we were drawn to the woods, pulled by some kind of magnetic force. (beat) As we walked, talking about the things we normally talked, I stopped. I came over with the most nauseating feeling. It felt like my stomach was being twisted into knots. It was so powerful, I fell to my knees. Joseph was saying something to me... I looked up to ask for his help and that's when I saw it... (beat) ... I will never forget that night. I will never forget what we saw. CLARE What did you see? ROSALINE (beat) A craft. Something not of this world. Clare's eyes widen. ROSALINE (CONT'D) It was coming down so fast I thought it was going to destroy everything in sight. It fell into the woods... but there was no explosion. Nothing... except for lights, beaming between the trees. CLARE Are you telling me that a... a UFO crashed in those woods? ROSALINE No. I'm telling you they came to leave something behind. CLARE What? Rosaline pulls out a piece of paper and passes it to Clare. ROSALINE This man can help you. CLARE Why can't you help me? ROSALINE Because you need to do this yourself. If you believe only a small piece of what I have told you, go see this man. CLARE Who is he? ROSALINE A doctor, psychiatrist. He's retired now but he can tell you things I can't. He's treated many people from here. CLARE You mean --? ROSALINE Oh, you thought all of the crazies killed themselves? No, some were saved and locked away in padded cells. CLARE How many people has this happened to? ROSALINE (somberly) Too many. Clare puts the piece of paper in her pocket. INT. CAR Clare is driving along the road. She pulls out her cell phone and dials a number. CLARE (into cell) Jen, it's me. Listen, I need to go out of town for a day. (listens) No, no. It's nothing serious. I just need to track someone down. (listens) Jen, please! I'll call you when I get there. (listens) Thank you. Tell Michael... tell him I love him. CLICK! She puts the cell on the passenger's seat and continues driving. EXT. COUNTY POLICE STATION Sheriff Morton EXITS the building. He locks the doors and makes his way to his car, but: JONATHON (O.S) Sheriff? The Sheriff turns to see Jonathon. SHERIFF MORTON What is it Jonathon? JONATHON I think I might have done something really wrong. SHERIFF MORTON (sighs) Come by in the morning. I've got a frozen chicken to eat. JONATHON No, sir... it's about that lady who's brother shot himself. SHERIFF MORTON Clare Emmerich? JONATHON Yeah, that's her name. She came by the library earlier this morning. I was just closing the place because we always close early on a Saturday. I was checking the place and found her looking over some newspapers. SHERIFF MORTON So? The ones that tell a story are locked away and there's no way she could... (realizing) You showed her them, didn't you? Jonathon shamefully nods. SHERIFF MORTON (CONT'D) (infuriated) You idiot! Do you know what this means? JONATHON Yes, sir. I'm sorry... I just... she looked so sad. I couldn't... SHERIFF MORTON Get home and don't leave that house until I tell you otherwise. You understand me? JONATHON I do, sir. I'm sorry. Jonathon rushes away. The Sheriff reaches inside his jacket and pulls out his cell. He dials. SHERIFF MORTON (into cell) We've got a situation. (listens) We need her removed. (listens) I agree. They'll both be removed by the morning. He puts the radio back, looks around, before getting into the car and pulling away. EXT. APARTMENT BLOCK - LATER A car pulls up outside the large building. Clare steps out of the car and heads towards the main entrance. SHE PRESSES THE BUZZER. A long beat. SHE PRESSES IT AGAIN. Finally, a voice comes over it: LIONEL (V.O) Who the hell is that? CLARE (into intercom) Mr Jones? My name is Clare Emmerich. I need to speak with you. LIONEL (V.O) Clare who? Do you have any idea how late it is? CLARE (into intercom) Please, sir. It's urgent. LIONEL (V.O) Go away! CLARE (into intercom) Rosaline LeMorte sent me! A long beat. THE DOOR BUZZES. Clare pushes it open and ENTERS the building. INT. LIONEL'S FAMILY ROOM LIONEL JONES sits in the armchair. Clare is on the couch. LIONEL It's been a long time since I heard that name. How is the old lady? CLARE She's... she's fine. LIONEL She used to come up to the ward about three times a month, asking questions... then one day she just stopped. I figured she'd passed away. CLARE She's still alive. Still living in the town. LIONEL (smiles) She never was a quitter. First time I saw her I thought, 'that woman's going to leave a mark on those people.' They didn't like her much. Too nosy. Ironic that that's the thing I liked about her the most. CLARE Mr Jones, the -- LIONEL Please, call me Lionel. CLARE Lionel... the reason I'm here is because a few days ago my brother shot himself. (beat) You don't seem surprised? LIONEL No. I'm sure you know by now that town has had a lot of cases like that. Still, it is a great shame to hear it still continues. CLARE You were a psychiatrist there? LIONEL Yes I was. Going back a few years. My practice was just outside the town. (beat) I've seen a lot of things in my time. Nothing compares to the people I got coming from that place. CLARE How? LIONEL Most patients I treated were all different. They babbled on about one crazy thing after another. But that was what I did. I listened, I evaluated, I treated. Then we got a fresh breed of crazies. (beat) The first wouldn't speak for days. He was just a boy, he was on a school excursion in the woods and he'd gotten lost. When they found him, he had split his head open. Blood was everywhere. Not a patch of his skin that wasn't covered in it. Turns out, he'd been sitting for hours, hitting his head against a tree. (beat) I tried to get something out of him. Days went by, nothing. Weeks... nothing. Then one day, he finally said something. "Too much." CUT TO: INT. ATTIC - FLASHBACK Clare and Thomas in the attic. THOMAS (shouts) It's too much! He pulls the shotgun to his chin AND PULLS THE TRIGGER. CUT TO: INT. LIONEL'S FAMILY ROOM - (PRESENT) Lionel notices Clare's distraction. LIONEL You're brother... he said that too, didn't he? CLARE Yes he did. LIONEL They all did. Every single one of those people I got from that town, all said the same thing. That's what made them different. They weren't just babbling about random things... they were all saying exactly the same thing. CLARE What does that mean? Lionel moves to a cupboard and pulls out a folder. He opens it up and shows Clare. CLARE (CONT'D) What is this? We see the sheets of paper. ALL OF THEM HAVE A DIAGRAM OF A BOX. Some are detailed, some are simply squares. LIONEL I managed to reach some of the patients. For a while they would be like normal people, like they were before they endured whatever it was they endured. It was only a few minutes, so I got them to draw what they saw. CLARE But these are just... squares... LIONEL Boxes, Mrs Emmerich. They are just boxes. But when you put them all together, you have something. You have something they all saw, each and every one of them. (beat) You know, you remind me of Rosa. You're just as curious as she was. CLARE She used to ask you a lot of questions too? LIONEL All the time. She told me her theories of course. I'm sure you know of them. CLARE Not much. LIONEL She would talk of the night the lights came from the woods, she told me she was there herself. She told me an alien craft had gone into the woods and she truly believed they had left something behind. Something that was making these people go mad. CLARE You didn't believe her? LIONEL (smiles) I'm not a believer, Mrs Emmerich, but I didn't wash my hands of her like the locals did. They hated it when she would spread her theories around. She even tried to get the FBI involved. (beat) But the evidence is compelling. Whether it be extraterrestrial or not, there is something in those woods. Clare nods in complete understanding. INT. ROSALINE'S FRONT HALL The doorbell CHIMES. Rosaline comes down the stairs in her nightgown. ROSALINE All right, I'm coming! She opens the door. The Sheriff stands on her step. ROSALINE (CONT'D) I might have known. SHERIFF MORTON Sorry to bother you at this late hour but we've come across something in your husband's case. ROSALINE (eyes him) Don't patronize me, Bill. We both know why you're here. SHERIFF MORTON I was planning on doing this the easy way but... (beat) Rosaline LeMorte, I'm arresting you on suspicion of the murder of Joseph LeMorte. You do not have to say anything but anything you do say may be given in evidence against you. He leads her away to the patrol car. ROSALINE I suppose this means Clare is on her way to exposing the truth. SHERIFF MORTON I wouldn't worry about that. We've recently been informed the library was broken into in the early hours of this morning. Some money from the safe was taken, as well as books. Clare's fingerprints are everywhere. ROSALINE You son of a bitch. SHERIFF MORTON Get in the car, Rosaline. He opens the door. She GLARES AT HIM for a beat, then ducks in. The Sheriff closes it and gets in the front. The patrol car pulls away. INT. LIONEL'S FAMILY ROOM Clare and Lionel are standing by the door. LIONEL I'm sorry I can't help you more, Mrs Emmerich. CLARE You've done enough. Thank you. LIONEL (thinks) There is one other person you could try, although, I'm not sure if she's still at the same place she was when we released her. CLARE Released her? LIONEL The only patient who came from the woods ever to recover. He rummages through a cabinet. Finally he pulls out a notebook. He tears a page out and passes it to Clare. LIONEL (CONT'D) When you see Rosa, tell her I send my greetings. CLARE I will. Thank you. LIONEL You be careful. Clare smiles before EXITING. On Lionel's troubled expression we... FADE TO: EXT. SECLUDED RANCH - MORNING A car drives up the long driveway and comes to a stop outside the ranch. Clare steps out of the car and takes a look around. We see nothing except grass and stumps. Trees used to grow here but have all been chopped down. Clare KNOCKS on the door. As she does, it opens. She takes another look around before ENTERING. INT. RANCH - FAMILY ROOM Clare peers around the door. CLARE (calls) Hello? Is anybody here? No reply. She steps in and slowly makes her way through the room. It's spotless. There is no clutter in sight, as if it wasn't even lived in. CLARE (CONT'D) Hello? I'm -- ANDREA (O.S) Who the hell are you? Clare turns to see ANDREA MYERS, LOOKING AT HER DOWN THE BARRELL OF A SHOTGUN. CLARE My name is Clare Emmerich. I don't mean any harm. ANDREA Oh yeah? What do you want? CLARE Mr Jones sent me. He was your psychiatrist. ANDREA I know who my doctor was. But that still doesn't answer my question. CLARE I need to know what happened to you in the woods. Andrew's eyes widen a little. SHE LOWERS THE SHOTGUN. ANDREA I don't know what you're talking about. CLARE I think you do. ANDREA Lady, I just told you -- CLARE My brother shot himself. He'd been in the woods looking for our dog and when he got back... he shot himself. So, please, help me understand. Andrea sighs, putting the shotgun down. She moves further into the room, taking a seat on the armchair. ANDREA Well sit down already. Clare does. ANDREA (CONT'D) You'll hear stories about what goes on inside them woods. They're just stories. Nobody knows the truth. CLARE You do. ANDREA Don't think you know what I know. You couldn't. CLARE I'm sorry. Andrea lights up a cigarette. ANDREA I was twenty-three when it happened, when I got lost in those woods. I was training as a nurse for the local hospital, on my way to becoming the best in my class. But one night there was a storm. It was destroying everything in the town. The rain was flooding homes. People were being killed. (beat) We'd heard some kids had gone out to the woods and hadn't returned. With us all wanting to try and save lives, a few of us decided to head out there, see if we could find them. (beat) What did you say your name was again? CLARE Clare. ANDREA Pretty name. I had a mouse called Clare. Didn't realize she was a he until the other one gave birth. All the babies died the night of the storm. (beat) Still, nothing compared to what happened in those woods. CLARE Lionel Jones told me all his patients who had been in the woods had drawn a box. Did you see that? Did you see a box? ANDREA I saw a box. But that's not what's important. CLARE But -- Andrea pulls up her sleeves, revealing DOZENS OF SCARS. ANDREA See these? Apparently I did them. Self infliction they called it. I don't remember doing it. I don't remember anything of the seven years I was in that institution. (beat) The only thing I remember is Jones speaking to me in a white padded room. I was so disorientated, like when you first wake up in the morning, you have to adjust to everything. It felt like I had just been asleep. I kept insisting I was in the woods the night before... then they showed me the recordings. I had been in a comatose state for six years. The brief lapses I had, I would claw my nails into my skin, screaming that I didn't understand, that it was too much. (beat) Do you know how it feels to wake one day and your whole life is turned upside down? That everything you thought you knew was all worthless? CLARE (soft) Yes. ANDREA Your brother didn't kill himself. Because the moment he saw what was in that box, he wasn't himself anymore. INT. FRONT HALL There's KNOCKS at the door. Michael comes down the stairs and opens it, revealing the Sheriff and a couple of other OFFICERS. SHERIFF MORTON Hello, son. Is your Mom around? MICHAEL No. SHERIFF MORTON Well I'm afraid I'm gonna have to come in and take a look around. MICHAEL Do you have a warrant? SHERIFF MORTON A kid who knows the law. MICHAEL I watch TV. Jen comes through. JEN What's going on? SHERIFF MORTON Ma'am, we have a warrant to search these premises. JEN Why? SHERIFF MORTON We believe Mrs Emmerich may have stolen some things from the local library. We'd just like to check it out. JEN Stolen what? SHERIFF MORTON Money, books... newspapers. JEN She didn't steal them... SHERIFF MORTON You've seen the items? JEN (nods) Newspapers... that's all she had with her. SHERIFF MORTON Could you please show me where they are? Jen opens the door. The Sheriff and his officers come through. Michael GLARES AT THEM. INT. THOMAS' BEDROOM It's dark. The curtains are closed. The door opens a little, letting a tiny bit of light in. THE LIGHT SWITCH IS FLICKED. Jen and the Sheriff see the room: SCRAPS OF NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS COVER THE WALLS. NEWSPAPERS LIE ON THE FLOOR. JEN Oh my God... SHERIFF MORTON I think this should be enough. JEN What's going to happen to her? They're only a few newspapers. SHERIFF MORTON Ma'am, we take breaking and entering, theft, and destruction of property, very serious crimes. JEN But... she's not feeling herself at the moment. She recently lost her husband and now her brother. SHERIFF MORTON Do you have any idea of the whereabouts of Mrs Emmerich? JEN No. All she told me was that she had to go out of town. SHERIFF MORTON Sounds suspicious to me. Probably spending the money she took from the safe. JEN Money? She wouldn't take any money! SHERIFF MORTON Her fingerprints are all over the office. JEN But... how did she get into the safe? The Sheriff stalls, unsure, but quickly tries to come up with an answer: SHERIFF MORTON Thieves always have a way. If she comes back here I advise you to call the station as soon as possible. Jen only nods. SHERIFF MORTON (CONT'D) Good day to you, ma'am. He EXITS. Jen takes another look at the room. She heads towards one article in particular: "UNIDENTIFIED CRAFT IN WOODS." Michael ENTERS. MICHAEL Are they going to arrest Mom? JEN Michael... don't you worry about it. MICHAEL They're wrong. JEN How do you know? MICHAEL Because she's my Mom. She's a good person. JEN Yes she is. MICHAEL (beat) Sometimes I hear whispers, coming from the woods. JEN (curious) Whispers? MICHAEL I can't explain it. JEN (beat) I think we should go watch some television. Jen leads Michael out of the room and turns the light off. Leaving it in darkness once again. EXT. SECLUDED RANCH Clare comes out the front door. She turns back to Andrea. CLARE One thing I don't understand. ANDREA Only one? CLARE How are you the only one ever to come out of it? ANDREA The storm. Lightning hit where I was, brought me out of it. Strange how the one thing that was supposed to be the most devastating thing to that town, saved my life... my mind. CLARE (beat) Will you ever let those trees grow again? ANDREA Never. A beat. Clare moves to the car and gets in. Andrea looks out to the grassland, then closes the door. INT. CAR Clare takes a moment. She looks thoroughly stunned. After a beat, she moves her bag to the next seat but something falls out. A WALLET. IT FLAPS OPEN. Clare pulls out a photo. A SMALL PICTURE OF DANIEL. She traces his face with her finger... FADE TO: INT. BEDROOM - FLASHBACK Clare sits beside Daniel. He looks much worse than he did before. He hasn't got long left. CLARE Run from what, Daniel? DANIEL Not "from." To. He will need you. He won't be screaming, he won't be heard... but you'll know. All you have to do is see. CLARE (teary) Daniel... DANIEL (grins) It seems peculiar, seeing a butterfly at this time of night. So blue. Daniel touches Clare's cheek. DANIEL (CONT'D) See. A BRIGHT WHITE FILLS THE SCREEN... FADE TO: INT. CAR - (PRESENT) THE BRIGHT WHITE DISSIPATES ON: Clare's hand is on her cheek. After a beat, she wipes away a tear. She takes a deep breath and puts the car in drive. INT. FAMILY ROOM - NIGHT Jen is asleep on the couch. The door opens and in walks Clare. She quietly moves to the table and puts her keys down. She looks to Jen, and faintly smiles. She turns back to the door but: JEN Clare! Clare turns back to see Jen getting to her feet. CLARE Hi. Sorry I didn't call. JEN Where have you been? CLARE Following a lead. JEN Did you get what you were looking for? CLARE (hesitates) I really don't know. JEN (beat) Clare, the Sheriff has been here. He thinks you broke into the library. CLARE What? JEN Did you? CLARE No! That librarian let me in there. He told me not to tell anyone. JEN Well he seems to think you broke in and took them. As well as money from the safe. CLARE (realizing) He's trying to stop me. He knows that I'm just an inch away. JEN What --? CLARE There is something in the woods, Jen. They all know about it. They've been trying to keep it a secret because they know if it's exposed it'll be the end of their tranquil existence. JEN Clare, this is crazy! CLARE I've been to see a woman who was in the woods. She spent seven years in an institution... six of those she has no memory of. JEN Clare -- CLARE Rosa was there the night the lights were in the woods. JEN I don't -- CLARE No! You're not listening to me! JEN Because I think you're delusional! I think you're hearing what you want to hear because you need to believe Thomas didn't kill himself. But he did! Jen walks into the next room, despaired. Clare is quick to pursue her. INT. KITCHEN Clare comes through. CLARE You didn't hear her. You don't know what that woman went through. JEN I don't need to! There is a reason she was in an institution, Clare! She's crazy. CLARE She is not. Something happened to her. Something happened to them all. The lights in the woods, the suicides, the murders, the people going mad, the pictures they drew... Clare stops, turning to see the PICTURE ON THE REFRIGERATOR. The one Michael drew. Of a box. CLARE (CONT'D) Oh my God... JEN What? Clare looks around, remembers something: CLARE When I walked in, the door was wide open. JEN It was? CLARE (beat) Where's Michael? JEN He's upstairs. (beat) What's wrong? Clare rushes out of the room. INT. CHILD'S BEDROOM Clare rushes through and looks around. Michael is nowhere to be seen. She heads to the table beside the bed, where a pile of paper sits. She goes through it. DOZENS OF PICTURES OF A BOX. Clare frantically goes through every single one of them, all showing the same thing. JEN RUNS IN. JEN (CONT'D) Where is he? Clare moves to the window, looks out to the woods. CLARE In there. Both women STARE OUT THE WINDOW. EXT. WOODS Michael walks calmly through the dark woods. RAIN FALLS DOWN ON HIM. His eyes are almost completely closed. Sleepwalking. There are EERIE SOUNDS from all over but the boy is oblivious. Without taking any notice, he turns, and heads towards the sound of WATER. EXT. HOUSE Clare runs out onto the driveway and heads for the woods. Jen is quick to come to the front door. JEN SHOUTS OVER THE RAINFALL: JEN What are you doing? CLARE I have to help him! JEN But it's too dark! CLARE I have to find him, Jen! I can't let that happen to him. JEN Let what happen to him? CLARE (beat) I don't know... but I know I don't want it to happen. JEN Let me call the Sheriff -- CLARE Fine! Call him! But I have to go in there now! And with that, Clare disappears into the thickness of the woods. Jen watches her figure fade into the darkness. Then turns back into the house. INT. COUNTY POLICE STATION - CORRIDOR The Sheriff walks through the corridor, about to enter a room, when: DEPUTY Sir! We've just got a call from a Ms Fenner. SHERIFF MORTON Who? DEPUTY She's the woman staying at the house in the woods. She just reported the Emmerich boy missing. SHERIFF MORTON (thinks) He heard the calling. DEPUTY Sir... what should we do? SHERIFF MORTON (beat) If we ignore the call, it'll raise suspicions outside the town. DEPUTY Yes, sir. I believe it will. SHERIFF MORTON Pretend like you're actually looking for him, Deputy. DEPUTY What if we could actually get to him in time? SHERIFF MORTON (sighs) Don't get your hopes up. It's never happened before, I doubt it'll happen anytime soon. Just get out there and act like you can save him. DEPUTY Yes, sir. Right on it. The DEPUTY rushes down the corridor. The Sheriff takes a deep breath and opens the door... INT. INTERVIEW ROOM ... he closes it behind him and looks to Roasline, who is sitting at the opposite side of the table. ROSALINE You look concerned, Bill. Something wrong? SHERIFF MORTON No doubt you already know. ROSALINE The boy. SHERIFF MORTON (nods) The boy. ROSALINE You should be out there helping her end it all. SHERIFF MORTON Go into those woods? It's suicide. ROSALINE You're the Sheriff. You're supposed to protect the people of this town. It shouldn't be left to a woman who hasn't even lived here for a month. Right now she is out there, alone, searching for her child. You are willing to risk her life? SHERIFF MORTON If she is risking her life, it is because you pushed her to it. You're the one filling her head with all this crazy nonsense. ROSALINE Nonsense? Bill, you and I both know what is in those woods. (beat) Whether she lives or dies, it is going to end. People will talk. Your quiet little haven is going to change forever. The Sheriff is uneasy with this. ROSALINE (CONT'D) Do the right thing, Bill. I stopped asking questions long ago because I found the answers... I just knew I wouldn't be able to resist the calling of the box. SHERIFF MORTON What makes you think she will? ROSALINE Intuition. SHERIFF MORTON (beat) You think they have a chance? ROSALINE It's getting slimmer by the minute. EXT. WOODS Clare runs through the woods. Branches WHIP AT HER FACE. She comes into an opening and stops. CLARE (shouts) Michael? Michael! Nothing. Only the sounds of nature. Clare spins, unsure of which way to go. She begins frantically trying to find any